Manufacture of grease



May 30, 1933. c, E. LAUER 1,912,001

MANUFACTURE OF GREASE Filed July 1, 1950 ALKAL/ I PuMF Ill/U vwamtoz Gnu-J i O H YDROCA REON AND FA T TY O/L 233M Qbtommg m ADM fiatented May 30, 1933 STATES.

I "CARL 1a- LAUER,

.OEF

or PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, "ASSIGNOR mo THE TEXAS COMPANY, or

K NEW'YORKN; ntpmaonnmron OF DEISAWARE' invention relates to an improved methodof and apparatus for manufacturing grease b'y a continuous process whereinj-the mineral and'fatty oil ingredients are heated in 'admixture-and reacted with alkaline material to produce a desired grease. ff lhe invention broadly contemplates mix 'ingimineral pil and fatty oil or fatty-acids in desired prop'ortion passing ;the mixture through a preheating s'eetionof a'coil lieater wherein itis heated 'to' a predetermined temperature' preferablyin excess ofgth'e melting point of the final product, introducing alkaline or saponifying material-to the preheated mixture, :maintaimng the admixture of oil and alkaline material" in a heated fstate during its continued passage through the remaining-portion'of the heating coil to bring aboutlsaponification of its saponifiable constituents l'followingwhich it may- 'be conducted -to a chamber wherein water and other undesirable materials may be removed to any desiredlextentvin vapor formto produce a desired'final product. I While. the invention'is particularly well adaptedtosthe preparation of high soap content-grease such-as used for the lubrication of locomotive driving journals, it may :also be adapted to.the production of different typesof greasezcomposi'tions containing variable, amounts ofsoap or different metallic soaps such v caustic, lime, aluminum and the like-zand comprising mineral and fatty oil' constituents of various physical properties wherein the mineral oil ingredient may consist of a light lubricating oil, or heavy cylinder oil, and may embrace either a distillate'or residual oil derived from paraffin or naphthe'ne: or mixed base crude,'while the fatty oil. or fatty acid ingredients may be derivedfrom animal or vegetable origin such as hard tallow, tallow oil, fleshing grease, stearimelaine oil, castor oil, cottonseed oil, and the. like, andmay also include hydrogenated fats.

Furthermore the invention may embrace the preparation of grease compositions containing such additional constituents as graphite, rosin, Wax and the like, incorporated therein to impart certain specially .;MANUFACTfiRE-- or GREASE. 1 a lication filed m 1, 1930. seria iv 4e5,i4l'2 desired physical prdp'ertiefsito the product.

I Another aspect of the invention contemplates an improved [apparatus adapted to continuous o 7 methods] of manufacturing grease which comprises, 'a cont inuous heat ing coil 7 coinmunicatiiigfwitlifin; open or 51 5 1: ket 9. di met in Having i d forfintroducingjsaponifying 'niaterial 'ttgflie interi r bit terniediate points to commingle with the oil mixture rea ,withfits1saptnifiabie. constituents during jcofl tinned flow, through the coill'froin which the admixturehis jondu'cted' to th'e' cham'beiwherein undesirable yaporous materials maybe removed in order to produce the desired f nal products '1 fBy prior art/methods of manufacture, mineral and fatty oil ingredients may separately befcharg e'd jto a kettlewherein they may be mixed and heated to a suitable, teni p'erature. The'saponifying material .is then slowly added to the hot; mixture with agitation and continued heating sufficient ,to

maintain thereactingadmizrture'at substan tially constant temperature thereby facilitat in'g'the reaction as Well as vaporizing water.

In batch. operations, of this nature difficulty may be experienced in consistently maintaining absolute uniformity in the product produced insucceeding batches of the grease due largely to slight variations in operating conditions,'particularly variation in' temperature conditions prevailing throughout the Whole mass of reacting ingredients within the' kettle. Thus variations may frequently occur in therate of heating of different batches or on the other hand in particular batches the temperature rise may vary throughout the mass of the material being heatedwith the occurrence of localized overheating of certain portions of the mixture. Although these variations may be of very small magnitude, nevertheless they may cause undesirable variations in the appearance or quality of the final product.

Accordingly my invention contemplates a method of continuous manufacture of grease products adapted to bring about better and more complete control of operating conditions during heating and subsequent saponification than is possible in conventional batch methods of manufacture.

By the practice of my invention mixed mineral oil and fatty oil or fatty acid are passed through a continuous tubular heating coil wherein the mixture is progressively heated in a primary or preheating section ofa heating coil to a predetermined temperature. At a suitable point or points in the coil at which the oil mixture has attained this desired temperature saponifying material, such as aqueous caustic soda, lime, or the like, is introduced. Saponification takes place during the passage of the mixture through the secondary-or remaining portion of the heating coil.

During passage through this portion of the heating coil the, mixture may be maintained at substantially constant temperature orheated to a predetermined temperature considerably higher than that to which the oil mixture was heated prior to the introduction 'of the .saponifying material.

' the'chamber in order to bring about the desired degree of saponificat-ion.

"Furthermore, sapo'nification may be carried out entirely within the chamber, particularly when employing pure fatty acids rather than fatty oilas an ingredient, since the reaction rate between pure fatty acids and alkaline material may be effected with sufficient rapidity to enable substantially continuous production of the product when introducing the alkaline material directly to the chamber. Vhen operating in this particular manner it may be desirable to reduce the charge rate in order to increase the time during which the reacting admixture remains in the chamber or a relatively larger chamber may be employed, if desired, in order to increase the time during which the reactions may be carried out.

The invention may be clearly understood from the following detailed description which has reference to the accmnpanying drawing illustrating diagrammatically a preferred embodiment of the apparatus adapted to practice the invention.

A pump 1 withdraws mineral oil and fat ty oil ingredients which have been previously mixed in desirable proportion from a storage tank 2 through a pipe 3, having a valve 4, and delivers the mixture through a pipe 5 to a heating coil 6, preferably a continuous tubular type of pipe still heater, mounted in a furnace 7 heated by a suitable burner.

The pipe 8 leads from the heating coil 6 to a chamber or kettleil which may be provided '-with sui ablei stirringigmeai si The kettle 9 is shown mounted in a furnace 10 but in many instances a steam jacketed kettle or even. a well insulated kettle will be entirelyisatisfactoryi l he kettle is also provided with an exhaust pipe and suitable valve '11- through which vapors may be withdrawn from the, kettle. Draw-off pipe 12 equipped with a valve 13 leads from a point near thebottom of the kettlefi to anyidesired containers not shown, into hisks-the contents I of the .kettle. may be, drawn. L

Alkali storagev .tank :17; gisy connfected kby pipe 18. containing valve. 19 to suitable portional pumping. means .ope'ratedin con junction with pump 1, mid -such,- pumping means may deliver the alkali throngh pipe 20 to several brfanch pipes2Zl provided with pointsv in the .heatingcoihfiq The phonon- -tional pumping means 3 is ialsoi'iomrnoqtfld-zby suitable valves ands leading to a different directed to the coil Mand te theglrettleatl as desired. 33 -j. i

In carrying out gthe processuthami x d hydrocarbon and. fatty :oilscaire; withdrawn by-pump l;from tank 2 and rpa's'sed through the heating coil 6' where theiaoilomhyabe heated to any: desired etemperature-prefem ably above the melting"point!zof-tlie 'fina'l product. Forexample,adcsiredzrange-lnay be between 400- and-EOQQ IFi, or; thellteinperatures may be considerablyfhighera;nIn one method of operation-the proportion ing pump associated withv plump l deliversf an alkali solution from tank l7 tl'irouglt pip 20 into the coil Gthrough anyorrall of' the' pipes 21. The point of injectioniofthe -al kali most suitable for thespreparation, of the grease being made mayber'deterniined by experiment, it being notedflthat theintroduetion of the alkali through' the' upper pipe 21 provides the longest=time-forqre action and saponificatiou before thdrnix ture reaches the kettle 9. The'rate of hea't ins and of passage of the mixed oils through the heater 6 may be such as to permit complete saponification of the mass before'dt reaches the kettle 9, but, on the other hand,

the factors governing the rate of sapo'nifica tion may be so adjusted that sap'onifica tion is only partially completed by the time the mixture reaches the kettle 9.

Any desired level of contents may be maintained in the kettle 9 and itis preferff able that a substantial body he maintained therein in order to assure substantially unisired amount of water or other material is form composition of the finished product, which may be drawn ofi continuously or intermittently through pipe 12 into suitable containers. 7

Any desired proportion of the water vapors evolved may be withdrawn through the pipe 11, as well as any other vapors generated in the system. The process is especially adapted to the preparation of substantially dehydrated greases and in such instances practically all of the water will be evaporated from the mass in the kettle 9. Whileit is usually preferable to maintain the contents of the kettle at temperatures above the melting point of the finished product and draw off such product in a substantially liquid condition through-- pipe 12,

the method in the preparation of greases in which the ingredients are heated at temperatures below the melting point of the final product with stirring and partial or complete dehydration and withdrawal of the finished product in a semi-liquid or semisolid mass is not precluded.

In another method of operation valve 23 and pipe 20 may be closed, and valve 24 and pipe 22 open, so as to permit the proportional pump to deliver the alkali solution directly to the kettle 9. Insuch an instance reaction and saponification of the fatty constituents will be completed entirely within the kettle 9.

While heating and saponification may be carried out at" substantially atmospheric pressure it is preferable to employ pressure within the heating coil as well as in the chamber in order to prevent undesirable vaporization of the low boilingv constituents of the mixture. By adjusting the'valve in the outlet pipe 8 of the heating coil 6 any a desired pressure may be maintained within the coil whereby I am. able to employ temperatures of upwards of 700 F. without substantial vaporization of any light oil constituents of the mixture.

Although substantially the same pressure, may autogenously; be maintained within the kettle 9 as that which prevails within the coil outlet by-regulating the flow of vaporous material through the 'valved pipe 11, it may be preferable to employ pressure somewhat a'educedjrom that existing within the coil in order to bring about the desired degree of vaporization of water and other material of a more or less gaseous nature.

Thus, for example, I'may employ a pressure of around 400 pounds gaugea'nd' atem? perature not in excess of 650 F. at the heatmg 0011 outlet as compared with about 100 pounds gauge within the kettle. Under these conditions the reaction may ordinarily .be completed 'withinthe coil while the de-.

va orized and removed from the chamber.

viously many modifications and variations of the invention, as-hereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. A continuous process 'for manufacturing rease comprising mixing mineral oil and atty oil in the desiredproportion, flowing the mixture in a confined stream while heating it therein to a predetermined and controlled temperature, introducing saponifying material into the preheated mixture, further flowing the mixture of oil and saponifyin material in a confined stream while su jecting it to further heatin to bring about saponification of its saponifiable constituents, passing-the mixture into an enlarged zone, and withdrawing from said zone undesired vapors evolved therein .to produce the desired final product.

2. A continuous process for manufacturing rease comprising mixing mineral oil and atty oil in the desired proportion, flow--.

ing the mixture in a confinedstream while heating it therein to a desired temperature above the melting point of the final prod}. uct, introducing saponifying material to theif preheated mixture, further flowing the mix-Kv ture of oil and saponifying material in a confined streamwhile subjecting it to furof oil and saponifying material in a confined stream while subjecting it to further heating to a predetermined temperature, passing the mixture into an enlarged zone, and withdrawing-.from said zone undesired va ors evolved therein to produce the desired nal product. a

4. A continuous process for manufacturing grease comprising mixing mineral oil.

and fatty oil in the desired proportion, flowmgthe. mixture in a confined stream while \heating it therein to a desired temperature above the melting point of the final product,

introducing saponifyi material into the preheated mixture, furt er flowing the mixture of oil and saponifying material in a confined stream while subjecting it to' fur-.

therheating-to bring about saponification of its saponifiable constituents, passing the mixture into an enlarged zone, introducing additional $9. nifying material. into the g 5 mixture insai zone, and withdrawing therefrom undesired 'vapors evolved therein to produce the desired. final product.

5. A continuous process for manufacturing rease comprising mixing mineral oil m and atty oil in the desired proportion, flowpassing t ing the mixture in a confined stream while heating it therein to a predetermined andcontrolled temperature, and introducing saponifyin material into the hot oil stream, he mixture into an enlarged zone, withdrawing from said zone undesired vapors evolved therein to producethe desired final roduct.

6. process, as defined in claim 5 in which the mixture of mineral oil and fatty o'il'is maintained under 'superatmospheric -pres-' sure.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 16th day of June, 1930.;-

CARL E. LAUER. 

